Is it Worth the Risk?
by Xandra73
Summary: Pre-season 3. Claudia is looking for a way out, Jack is looking for a way in.


**Title: Is it Worth the Risk? (1/1)**

Author: Yvonne

Spoilers: Up to 3x08

Disclaimer: Nothing of 24 belongs to me. Just borrowing to have fun.

Summary: Pre-season three. Claudia is looking for a way out, Jack is looking for a way in.

Author's note: Thanks to catch22girl for taking the time to beta read this story and for having this great summary idea. :D

This is meant to be a stand-alone story. But I don't wanna rule out more. It really depends on the ideas I will have and also on the response I get for this story. :)

---

Claudia stood in front of her long mirror and did up the last button of her dress. It had taken her far too long to make a final decision about her outfit. She was already late. It was just another party in a long row of parties Ramon and Hector held regularly. Every weekend they threw these events either for their employees, business partners or friends. The party of this particular evening was dedicated to the staff. So Hector and Ramon didn't even see the necessity to honor it with their presence.

She looked into the mirror and checked her appearance. The cream colored, knee length dress with yellow flowers she had chosen fit perfectly and accented her figure as well as her long legs. This was exactly what she needed tonight. But something was amiss. 'An ornament for the hair', she thought and looked around. Then she plucked a blossom from the flowers on the table next to her mirror and placed it in her hair.

Much better.

The party had already started but she hesitated to go downstairs and join the crowd. She despised those social events. She and Hector were living together for almost six months, but she still had to adjust to it. Claudia's only purpose at theseparties was to smile and to look good. She felt more like one of Hector's fancy trophies than a human being. Not exactly the way, she liked to spend an evening.

Well, tonight her unease wasn't about her dislike of being treated like an object. She was starting to get nervous about her plans for the evening. She still wasn't sure, if this was a wise thing to do even thoughshe had thought about it for quite some time. So far it was the best idea she had managed to come up with. She just wished it wouldn't be so risky. If Hector found out about it, she would be dead.

Claudia sighed. 'How have I gotten myself into this life?' she mused desperately. When she first met Hector six months ago, it was like hitting the jackpot. He'd fallen in love with her madly and had started to court her right away. And he was very persistent. Within days he asked her to move into his house. When she hesitated because of his obvious involvement in the drug business, he had offered her father a good job at the estate and her little brother Sergio a thorough education.

She and her family had struggled with life and money since her mother had died a few years ago. They couldn't even afford to send little Sergio to school. How could she possibly have refused Hector's offer? Although she wasn't sure of being able to fall in love with Hector, she liked him and the prospects of a better life made her to accept his proposal.

Soon afterwards she moved in with her father and her brother. But after a short time she realized what a grave mistake she had made. Hector's irrational and neurotic behavior proved way too often what a dangerous man he was. To cap it all, he sent her father on dubious errands and jobs which seemed highly illegal to her. She didn't want her father to be involved in Hector's drug business. When she confronted Hector with her worries, he made promises to keep her father out of harm's way. From now on he would solely have to fulfill the duties of a foreman. But Claudia knew Hector better than to trust him. The worst part of moving onto the estate was the fact that her little brother Sergio developed a friendship with Hector. He not only liked him, he worshipped him, to an extend that worried Claudia beyond words. For some time Claudia had tried to ignore her own mistakes and the possible effects of Hector's influence to Sergio's education, but by now she knew she had to find a way out of this life.

Claudia looked into the mirror again, decided to put on a little bit more perfume and corrected her lipstick.

She had to look as good as possible tonight. She had to make sure Jack noticed her when she went downstairs. He was a very attractive man, she wouldn't have to pretend anything to accomplish her goal. She actually wondered if any woman was able to resist his appearance and his deep smoky voice. But there was also something much more practical on her mind, when she thought of him.

He was her ticket out of here.

Since the first day he had started working for Hector, Claudia had noticed that he was different. Maybe it was the simple fact that he was the only American working on the compound. But there was also something mysterious about him. So far she just hadn't figured out what it was. He was very competent in what he did and he gained a lot of respect from everybody in no time. She seldom had seen anyone move up in rank so fast, while working for the Salazar's. Hector was especially enthusiastic about him. Sometimes she wondered sarcastically when he would declare him as a new brother. She was pretty sure that Hector planned to establish him as a new partner in the business sooner or later. But for some reason she doubted that this was the goal Jack was trying to accomplish. She had only talked to him a few times since he arrived, but he didn't seem to her like a man who liked to stay in one place for too long. He was always on alert, always watchful. Like a tiger on the hunt.

The only thing that bothered her was his drug addiction. She wondered what kind of demons lurked inside his soul and triggered this need for escape. He didn't look like a man who couldn't handle his own life.

Claudia was very sure he wouldn't stay with Hector and Ramon forever and when he left she wanted to escape with him. If she could reach American soil with her family, everything would be much better. But how could she persuade him to leave Mexico not without her? She hoped there was a way. At this moment it was more important to get his attention. She knew she was good looking. And as an experienced woman she could easily stir a man's sexual interest.

She needed him to fall for her. She needed him to care for her. And then the days of her captivity would be finally over.

"Señorita Claudia? You are already late for the party. Is there anything I can do for you?" Maria, her personal maid, stood in the doorway with a questioning look on her face.

"No, thank you Maria. Everything is fine. It took me a while to choose the right dress. I will be down in a minute."

There was no way to hide in her room any longer. She would set her plan into motion tonight, and not think about the consequences in case of a possible failure.

---

Jack sat at the bar, with a bottle of beer in his hand, and pretended to enjoy the party. But it got harder with every minute. He wasn't in the mood for celebration tonight. Sadly he wasn't in the position to avoid this festivity. He had the responsibility for the estate while Ramon and Hector were away. At least he had to make sure that everything went smoothly. Playing the host for a social event wasn't one of his biggest talents.

He was glad that no one tried to invite him over to the other side of the room where Ramon's men had started an alcohol induced singing contest. Everyone knew that he preferred to be by himself. He had earned himself a lot of fearful respect not only by his efficiency as Hector's "right hand" but also by his violent-tempered reactions towards any kind of provocation. He'd worked hard to gain this reputation. It helped to keep his cover intact. If you got too heavily involved with people, the risk of being detected was high.

When he realized that his bottle was empty, he ordered a new one from tonight's bartender Paolo. He took the new bottle and decided to trade the chair at the bar for an empty table on the big patio in front of the house where he was all alone with his thoughts.

Now he worked for Ramon and Hector for almost three months and so far he had collected no useful information at all. The undercover mission had gone smoothly from the beginning. It had been easy to wake Hector's interest, when he was on a business trip in Los Angeles last February. Within days the Salazars had offered him a job and an invitation to Mexico. Sometimes you just had to be at the right place at the right time, combined with an impressive personal record of course. How often had he worked undercover so far? He'd lost count of the missions and frankly, it didn't bother him anymore. Nevertheless every one was unique in itself, he got more and more routine in earning the trust of his targets.

Lost in his thoughts he scratched at the new tattoo on his left forearm. It had stopped itching days ago, but he still wasn't used to it. Too big, too ugly. But it was the visible proof that he'd finally made it into Hector's and Ramon's Inner Circle. It just hadn't brought the results he had hoped for. His promotion had gotten him into the position to be informed about most of the drug cartel's activities. Hector appreciated the fact that he could delegate any business problem to Jack, who would take care of it in a very professional manner. Jack tried not to think of the things he had to do to win this kind of trust and respect from the Salazars. But bringing down their drug cartel was not his mission's objective, even though the FBI would surely love to hear the details as soon as he was back in L.A.. He was here to collect information about their connections with several terrorist factions around the world. He knew from trustworthy sources that those contacts existed. What kind of agenda did the Salazars have with those people? Did they use their own cartel to finance those groups? To wash their drug money? He needed to know who those contacts were. And so far he had learned nothing. It seemed as if this part of the business was strictly between Ramon and Hector. He also felt sure that their few days' absence and the refusal to give any information about their destination, was part of it. He grew especially suspicious, when his pretty insolent and very direct question about the nature of their business trip got him no answer. Nevertheless, Hector didn't hesitate to entrust the management of the estate to him while being away. He had to find a way to obtain the information he needed so badly. If he kept going like this the undercover mission would last forever. He and Tony had planned a six month run for this operation and his time was already half up. But which parts of his strategy needed improvement?

His bottle was almost empty again. He really had to keep track on how much he was drinking tonight. While he contemplated about getting a new bottle, he looked up and noticed Claudia, Hector's girlfriend, standing at the bar and talking to Paolo. She was beautiful as ever. She seemed to lighten up the world, wherever she appeared. Even though it was easy to tell she wasn't happy with her life at the Salazar mansion. During their first conversation it became obvious, that she was an intelligent and independent woman. She wouldn't play this part forever. But so far she managed it well. Lost in his thoughts he had kept looking at her unintentionally. Suddenly she turned her head and looked back in his direction. Not long enough to catch attention from the other party guests, but long enough to show Jack a small ambiguous smile. Jack responded to her smile, until he realized what was happening. Damn it. 'What are you doing?' he chided himself. Flirting with Hector's girlfriend was like digging his own grave. No one in his right mind would do more than fantasize about it.

An idea was forming in his head. He tried to ignore it, but those vague outlines of a new plan simply refused to go away.

Jack had often wondered, if Hector was attracted to Claudia by genuine love or the plain obsession of owning something that beautiful. The difference was hard to tell. But the fact was that he had her close to him almost all the time. No one but her had access to the absolute inner sanctum of the Salazars. If Hector ever let slip any information about secret business relationships, then it would happen in Claudia's presence. Still. Would he be able to gain her trust enough to tell him about those secrets? Would he be able to ask for her help without giving up his cover? Was it worth the risk? It would not only put the mission in jeopardy, it would also put her life in great danger. 'The success of the operation is all that matters,' he reminded himself. That was the only goal. True. But it still left a sick feeling in his stomach.

He had to relax and get rid of his negative notions. He still had three more months left to collect information. This was time enough, no need to get desperate. Maybe he was just so tense because it was almost time to shoot up again. He cursed himself for this stupid idea to become a drug addict to win the trust of Hector and Ramon. It had sounded like a good idea back then, but by now he realized how incredibly stupid this idea had been. Maybe it had helped him to get into this, but handling a real heroin addiction while being undercover was more difficult than he had imagined. He was absolutely dependent on getting supplies, he had to keep a strict schedule of shooting up to avoid withdrawal and it kept him incredibly vulnerable during the flash, after the heroin had entered his veins.

Suddenly the picture of another woman entered his mind. Kate. The sick feeling in his stomach intensified. How could he even consider gaining information through an affair with Claudia? When he was married to Teri he always managed to avoid things like this. He never even considered it. Why now? One more proof that Kate deserved so much better than him. Deep in his heart he wanted to find a way to combine his work and this relationship without letting one side down. But his current plans for Claudia surely didn't help.

He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. Although he sat outside on the terrace he suddenly felt claustrophobic. The music was all too loud in his ears and the laughter of the other guests was ripping at his nerves. The party was well under way, there was no need to stay until the end. He needed a quiet place to bring order to his thoughts.

With that he grabbed another beer at the bar and left the party early.

---

Jack leaned with his back against the wall of the barn next to the Salazar mansion. His hands loosely hanging down, in one hand still his bottle. He'd leaned his head back and kept his eyes closed. Trying to relax and let the tension escape.

Unnoticed by him Claudia had silently left the main building. "Here you are. I must admit I was a little bit disappointed when you left the party so early."

Her quiet approach had surprised him and almost made him jump. He opened his eyes, but didn't turn to make eye contact. "I'm not in the mood to celebrate. The music started to give me a headache."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I had hoped you would buy me a drink," Claudia said with disappointment in her voice.

"Why? The drinks are for free. And by the way, it's never wise to share the booze with Hector Salazar's girlfriend. Gossip spreads in no time. I'm not in the mood to appease a jealous drug lord, when he returns on Monday," Jack reminded her, slightly annoyed.

When she didn't respond he finally turned his head and looked straight into her eyes. She was breathtakingly beautiful asshe stood there in the dark, the moonlight letting her skin look ghostly pale. When she made one step towards him, he instinctively tried to make one step backward. But the wall he'd been leaning against prevented it.

"Well. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea of you to leave the party early. No one's here to spread any gossip." One more step. And another.

"What are you talking about, Claudia. I don't think this..." Jack wasn't able to finish the sentence because by then she was very close and started to kiss him on the mouth. The bottle slipped out of his grip and fell into the grass unnoticed.

He tried to break the kiss, mostly out of surprise, until he realized that he would be stupid to let this opportunity pass. So he put one hand around her waist, the other in her raven, long hair and pulled her closer. When he carefully tested to deepen the kiss, she willingly opened her mouth and let his tongue slip in. He smelled the herb scent of her perfume, tasted the sweetness of her lips and he suddenly felt, to his surprise, that his body reacted strongly to her close presence. She must have noticed it too, because she pulled his hand out of her hair and guided it under her dress. When she was sure he wouldn't need further encouragement, she let go of his hand and started fumbling with his pants.

Realizing what she was doing Jack had to break the kiss. This was going way too fast. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked a little breathless.

"Yes," Claudia whispered huskily and started to kiss him again.

---

Some time later Claudia lay on her back in the grass besides Jack, their arms almost touching**. **Still trying to catch her breath, she felt the sweat on her skin cooling down and leaving a shiver on her arms and legs. 'I really did it,' she thought. And she had been right, it hadn't been difficult at all. She realized how easily she could grow accustomed to enjoying this.

Jack interrupted her thoughts with a low voice: "Hector can't ever know about this. I hope you are aware of that. We are dead if he finds out."

"I know that," she answered. After a short silence she continued. "Can I see you again? I mean... can we do this again?"

Jack didn't answer right away. Then she heard him breathe in heavily, before he replied: "Yes."

'I can't believe I'm doing this...' he thought. How far had he come to use an innocent woman like Claudia just to accomplish a damn mission? Was he really ready to do anything to get the job done? Apparently so.

He couldn't wait to get back to his room. After this evening he was more than eager to escape this world into the bliss of his heroin induced dreams and to forget everything around him at least for a while.

End.


End file.
